PRO FOOTBALL; In Glow of a TV Screen, Two Young Jets Learn to See Into the Mind of an Offense

By KAREN CROUSE

Published: December 25, 2006

Was Jonathan Vilma a middle linebacker or a medium? Vilma's knack for knowing what was going to happen before the snap of the ball intrigued his Jets teammate Kerry Rhodes, a safety who as a rookie last year roamed the secondary without much direction.

''Jon knew how to call things out before they happened,'' Rhodes said. ''I thought that was great, just to see somebody really know what was going on, not out there just running around. I was like: 'Oh, wow, that looks neat. Let me do that, too.' ''

Vilma's secret, as Rhodes was about to discover, was not a crystal ball but a liquid-crystal-display television.

Three nights a week, Vilma withdraws to his darkened den after a 12-hour day at the Jets' practice facility and watches more game film. He has been joined this season by Rhodes, whom he welcomed with this warning: ''If you start, you can't stop.''

Rhodes has tackled the chess player's side of football with a big assist from Vilma. ''He's definitely helped me out with the mental part of the game, knowing that you can't use your athletic ability all the time to make plays,'' Rhodes said.

Rhodes and Vilma have become the Ebert and Roeper of the Jets, critiquing film until they are bleary-eyed. Last week, they critiqued Miami quarterback Joey Harrington in preparation for the 8-6 Jets' game against the 6-8 Dolphins on Monday night in Vilma's hometown, Miami.

Rhodes, 24, was asked how many hours the two of them spent each week critiquing film. Seated at his locker at the Jets' practice facility, he began calculating aloud, which piqued the interest of defensive lineman Rashad Moore, who was eavesdropping on the conversation from his locker next door.

Seriously. Rhodes, who has 4 interceptions, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 85 tackles, said, ''It's been an integral part of my success this year.''

While Rhodes's play has drawn rave reviews, the critics have been more measured in their praise of the 24-year-old Vilma. With 102 tackles (58 unassisted), he has become the first Jets linebacker since Kyle Clifton in 1986 to record at least 100 tackles in each of his first three seasons. But unlike last year, when he seemed to be in the middle of every Jets defensive highlight, he is making more-nuanced contributions this year.

His influence is evident in the rise of Rhodes and the restoration of the defense, which has averaged three sacks and allowed an average of 15 points in the six games since the bye week. In the first eight games, the defense gave up an average of 24 points while collecting 13 sacks.

Coach Eric Mangini has praised Vilma, the quarterback of the defense, for making the right reads to synchronize the front seven and the secondary.

''Jon understands where everybody fits,'' Mangini said. ''He's able to move the pieces around without changing the integrity of the defense. He's been a big part of our pursuit to the ball.''

In the 4-3 defense that the Jets used in his first two years, Vilma stalked the ball. His new role often requires him to run away from the ball to cover the back, or weak, side. The adjustment has been hard for Vilma because he can no longer trust his instincts. ''If you make a wrong step on the initial reaction,'' he said, ''you messed up the rest of the play.''

Vilma is on pace for 117 tackles, down from his league-leading total of 187 last year. He continues to be judged by the public on his tackling totals even though, in the 3-4 defense, they are not the best measure of his success. ''In this defense, it's not necessarily how many tackles I have,'' Vilma said. ''It's kind of taking away anything back side, holding the fort down on subdefenses. So it's a little different now than it would have been last year.''

The viability of the marriage of Vilma and the 3-4 has been debated, with some arguing that asking Vilma to defend the back side is like asking a firefighter to run away from a blaze.

''Naturally you want to do things you can't do now, and it's a little tough,'' Vilma said. He added: ''There are certain things that are beyond my control. When you get put in a new defense by a coach, I can't tell the coach we need to play a different defense.''

Vilma appears to have a good rapport with Mangini, who coached the 3-4 defense during his six years as an assistant in New England. Their relationship is so cordial that Vilma is often kidded about it in the locker room. ''They're real close,'' Rhodes said. Laughing, he added: ''They're all lovey on the field. Eric's his guy.''

That would explain receiver Laveranues Coles's nickname for Vilma: Little Penguin; Mangini is nicknamed the Penguin.

When the Jets returned to New York last week after their 26-13 victory at Minnesota, Coles, Vilma and Rhodes made their way to the West Village for a late meal.

With music pulsating in the background and beautiful people mingling in the foreground, they were engrossed in conversation about football. It was as if they were peewee players at a pizza parlor and not millionaires at a Manhattan hotspot.

''We were talking about what we could have done better in the game or what happened in the game,'' Rhodes said. ''It's all about football for us right now.''

It has been a trying season for Vilma. But when he is not holed up in his home breaking down game film, he has made it a point to put himself in the public eye.

''You could easily go in a shell and not come out,'' Vilma said. ''But I have a lot of confidence in myself. I know I'm a good player.''

EXTRA POINTS

New England's victory over Jacksonville gave the Jets control of their playoff future. If the Jets win their final two games, they are in. When the schedule came out and Jonathan Vilma saw that the Jets were playing in his hometown on Christmas night, he said that his first thought was how great it was that he would be home for the holiday. ''The next thing that went through my head is, I'm going to need a lot of tickets,'' Vilma said. How many tickets? ''A lot. Well over a dozen, and we'll leave it at that.''

Photo: The Jets' Jonathan Vilma, left, and Kerry Rhodes in last week's win at Minnesota. They say extra film study gives them an edge in the mental side of the game. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)